It was a year ago today that Matt and I first learned our daughter was missing a bone in her leg. I can still remember the feeling; my heart sinking, a lump in my throat, tears falling as soon as we stepped out of the office. Calling my mom and not being able to get the words out; her crying with me before I even spoke. I laid in bed hoping to wake up from a dream. Instead, I woke up next to Matt who suggested we write a prayer for our baby. We still read her that prayer every week along with other promises we learned throughout our pregnancy. Promises of hope, endurance, beauty, and grace.

More than anything else, I remember feeling inadequate. I was certain God had chosen the wrong woman. I am grateful the Lord knew I was capable when I was so sure I wasn’t.

23 weeks pregnant

Now I can say with certainty that I wouldn’t change Maely if I could. She is perfect. She has taught me more in twelve months than I thought I would learn in a lifetime. She’s so pure and innocent (although seriously sassy) and she has no idea she’s different and quite honestly I forget most of the time too. I love sharing her beauty and I dream up ideas of how we can do that together. She is going to be in an ad campaign for Ergobaby / Mommycon / Luries this Spring showing off her beautiful differences! Her smile beams with joy and she draws the attention of so many when we are out and about. I can’t wait for the world to watch her grow!

In front of Shriners

As it does all too quickly, time is flying and we have been discussing surgery dates for her amputation. We met with our ortho surgeon at Shriners last week and we will have her surgery when she is crawling (I need to baby proof) and pulling herself to stand. We already have a design picked out for her first leggy having talked to a couple prostheticians and we are looking forward to picking out her first pair(s) of shoes! In the meantime, I’m painting her toe nails and Matt is kissing her foot as much as possible. ❤

Thank you for all the warm thoughts and prayers you send our way. We are grateful Maely is so well loved.

Shriners 4-up

Maely’s Grandpa Gene will be racing in Ironman Texas this May and has decided to raise money for Shriners Children’s Hospitals in honor of Maely. Shriners specializes in pediatric orthopedics and we are so fortunate to have one just 25 minutes from our home! Click here to donate to Grandpa’s fundraiser.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10